Biography of Lu You

Name: Biography of Lu You
ISBN: 9787203101697

Zhu DongrunShanxi People's Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

4.5

Word count: 132K words
Chapters: 15
ISBN: 9787203101697

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Summary

This is a biography. Over the eighty-five years of Lu You's life, much changed, and his political affiliations shifted considerably as well. The History of Song: Biography of Lu You says that "in his later years he re-emerged to write the Record of the South Garden and the Record of the Yuegu Spring for Han Tuozhou, and was criticized by pure opinion"; it also says that "Zhu Xi once remarked that his abilities were too great and his conduct too conspicuous, and that he might be dragged along by those with power and fail to preserve his integrity in his final years." Some, therefore, have regarded Lu You as a hanger-on of the powerful, which is of course quite mistaken.

Editor's review

Zhu Dongrun's Biography of Lu You is a model of twentieth-century Chinese biographical writing, its value extending far beyond a life of a poet. Rated 8.8 on Douban, its enduring appeal lies in the author's seamless blend of deep historical scholarship and literary cultivation. Rather than simply cataloguing Lu You's deeds, Zhu places the Southern Song patriot-poet in a broad historical context and, through his troubled official career, ardent poetic passion, and unwavering ideals, probes the spiritual world of Song dynasty scholar-officials. Readers will not only come to know a life lived by the principle "though lowly, I dare not forget my concern for the nation" but also, through his personal fate, glimpse the rise and fall of the Southern Song and the collective predicament of intellectuals. The author's scrutiny and use of historical sources are exceptionally rigorous, and his narrative is both precise and emotionally rich, so that this scholarly work reads without tedium, filled instead with historical tension and human warmth. For readers who wish to go beyond the surface of poetry and truly understand Lu You the man and his spirit, this is an indispensable in-depth guide.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Classical literature enthusiasts interested in exploring Lu You's life and the background of his poetic creation
Researchers and history enthusiasts concerned with Song dynasty history and scholar-official culture
Readers who appreciate rigorously researched, beautifully written biographical literature
Thinkers seeking spiritual strength and life wisdom from the fates of historical figures

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking only light entertainment or quick surface-level introductions
Readers expecting extensive full-text appreciation of Lu You's poems rather than in-depth biographical interpretation

Reading tips

Read alongside Lu You's Sword South Poetry Manuscript and Weinan Collected Works, cross-referencing biographical milestones with his poetic output for a fuller picture
Notice how Zhu Dongrun uses historical sources to construct narrative and appreciate his method of "letting history inform argument, drawing argument from history"
The book touches on many historical events and figures; a basic framework of Southern Song history, or reference works on hand, will aid deeper reading

About the publisher

Shanxi People's Publishing House China · Founded in 1951

Founded in 1951, Shanxi People's Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher known for its books on history, culture and fine arts, with a list covering politics, economics, history, culture, ancient texts, art, and textbooks and teaching materials. Judging from the 108 titles in the database, history and biography form an important part of its output: Huang Yongnian's A History of Chinese Politics from the Sixth to the Ninth Century, Zhu Dongrun's Biography of Zhang Juzheng and Agricultural Geography of the Song Dynasty reflect a solid grounding in historical scholarship and ancient texts. In biography and social science it has published works such as Pursuit: Comfort Woman Park Young-hee and Her Sisters. In the areas of inspirational growth and foreign literature, Chinese translations of Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People and How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, and Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, enrich its popular reading list. Its authors include Huang Yongnian, Zhu Dongrun, Dale Carnegie, Hemingway and Su Zhiliang, giving the house an overall profile centred on history, culture and the humanities and social sciences, while also embracing popular inspirational and classic literary titles.

版权信息
序
第一章童年
第二章青年
第三章大风暴的来临
第四章隆兴的战事与隆兴的和议
第五章入川
第六章诗的开始转变
第七章生的高潮诗的高潮
第八章欢笑声中的涕泪
第九章建安和抚州
第十章再度的起用再度的罢免
第十一章蛰居山阴的五年
第十二章在一致对外的基础上和韩侂胄接近了
第十三章坚持到最后的一刻

FAQ

What distinguishes this book from other biographies of Lu You on the market?

Its greatest distinction is the high unity of scholarship and literary quality. Author Zhu Dongrun was a renowned biographer and literary historian who verified facts with a historian's rigor and portrayed character with a literary artist's touch, giving the biography both solid documentary support and moving narrative power. It is regarded as one of the pioneering works of modern biographical literature.

Can readers without a strong background in literature and history understand this book?

Absolutely. Zhu Dongrun writes accessibly and clearly. Although historical background is involved, the author explains it sufficiently. Readers need only curiosity about the figure and the era; the book itself serves as an excellent guide to Song dynasty history and culture.

Which aspects of Lu You does this book focus on?

It is a comprehensive biography, detailing Lu You's official career, family life, and social networks while also exploring his political ideals, literary views, and emotional world. The core thread is Lu You's life as a patriot, with his poetic achievements naturally woven into the narrative of his life.

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About the author

Zhu Dongrun Author · Chinese · 1896–1988

Zhu Dongrun (1896–1988), originally named Shizhen, was a native of Taixing, Jiangsu. He was an expert in classical Chinese literature, a literary historian, a biographer, an educator, and a calligrapher. He studied in the early years at South Western College in London, and later taught at Wuhan University, National Central University, and other institutions. From 1952 he served as professor and chair of the Department of Chinese at Fudan University. His Outline of the History of Chinese Literary Criticism is regarded as a foundational work in the field. In biography he wrote The Grand Biography of Zhang Juzheng and The Biography of Lu You, among others, focusing mainly on ancient literati and political figures, with attention to source criticism and the restoration of character, in a restrained yet compelling style. He is considered one of the pioneers of modern Chinese biographical writing. Eleven of his works are collected here, spanning biography, classics, culture, and literary appreciation, including Lu You: Selected Works, Chen Zilong and His Times, and Biographies of Mei Yaochen and Yuan Haowen.